If you are reading this for yourself or for someone you love who is in danger outside Australia, I want to be clear and calm with you. Form 842 is the application for Australia's Offshore Humanitarian visa. It is a serious application, it is free to lodge, and it deserves care rather than panic. Let me explain how it works.
What Form 842 is
Form 842, Application for an Offshore Humanitarian visa, is the application form for the Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB) program — for people who are outside Australia and seeking Australia's protection or humanitarian support.
It covers five subclasses:
- Refugee (subclass 200);
- In-country Special Humanitarian (subclass 201);
- Global Special Humanitarian (subclass 202);
- Emergency Rescue (subclass 203); and
- Woman at Risk (subclass 204).
Because these visas are for people outside Australia, Form 842 is different from the onshore Protection visa (subclass 866), which is for people who are already here. If you are in Australia, this is not your form — and knowing that early saves precious time.
It is free to lodge — and no one should charge you to help unlawfully
There is no visa application charge for the Refugee subclasses (200, 201, 203 and 204). The Global Special Humanitarian visa (subclass 202) is also free, unless it is proposed under the Community Support Program.
I say this plainly because vulnerable people are sometimes charged by others who are not entitled to charge. Only a registered migration agent, an Australian legal practitioner, or an exempt person may lawfully help you — and an exempt person (such as a relative) must never charge a fee for that help. If someone is demanding money to "lodge your humanitarian form", stop and get proper advice.
The proposer, and the Global Special Humanitarian pathway
The subclass 202 (Global Special Humanitarian) pathway usually depends on a proposer — typically an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible organisation who proposes the applicant and supports the application.
The proposer completes a separate form, Form 681 (the proposal), and it is lodged together with Form 842. If you are in Australia hoping to bring a family member out on humanitarian grounds, you are often the proposer, and your part of the paperwork matters as much as theirs.
How to lodge, and the care it needs
Lodgement follows the Department's current instructions. Some pathways — including certain subclass 202 "split family" and Community Support Program applications — can be lodged online; others are lodged by post to the processing area the Department directs. Always follow the current official instructions, because the humanitarian program's processes change.
What does not change is the importance of the evidence. A humanitarian application stands on a careful, truthful account of who the applicant is and what they face. That account must be consistent across every document — which is why identity and history forms such as Form 80, when required, must line up exactly with the humanitarian claim.
I do not make promises about outcomes, and you should be wary of anyone who does. What I can do is help ensure the application is complete, consistent and properly supported, so that it is decided on its true merits.
Common mistakes and their consequences
Using Form 842 while inside Australia. It is an offshore application. If you are in Australia, a different pathway applies.
Paying someone who cannot lawfully charge you. Humanitarian applications are free to lodge; be careful who you trust and pay.
Inconsistent accounts across documents. A humanitarian claim must be coherent and consistent. Contradictions between forms and statements can cause real harm to a genuine case.
Missing the proposer's part. For subclass 202, the proposal (Form 681) is integral — an application without a properly completed proposal is incomplete.
How Form 842 fits, and where to get help
A humanitarian application is not a form to rush alone if you can avoid it. Where a lawyer acts, a Form 956 records that properly with the Department. And if a humanitarian or protection decision goes against an applicant, that is not always the end — review rights may exist, and a visa appeal or other review pathway may be available depending on the decision.
If you are trying to help a family member reach safety in Australia, book a $97 10-minute chat with me. I will tell you honestly whether the humanitarian pathway fits, and how to give the application its best, fair chance.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form 842 used for?
Form 842 is the application for an Offshore Humanitarian visa under the Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB) program, for people outside Australia. It covers subclasses 200, 201, 202, 203 and 204.
Is there a fee to lodge Form 842?
No visa application charge applies to the Refugee subclasses (200, 201, 203 and 204). The Global Special Humanitarian visa (subclass 202) is also free, unless it is proposed under the Community Support Program. Be cautious of anyone charging you a fee to lodge it.
Can I use Form 842 if I am already in Australia?
No. Form 842 is for people outside Australia. If you are in Australia, the onshore Protection visa (subclass 866) is a different application with a different form.
What is a proposer, and do I need one?
For the Global Special Humanitarian visa (subclass 202), a proposer — often an Australian relative or an eligible organisation — proposes and supports the applicant, completing Form 681, which is lodged together with Form 842.
How do I lodge Form 842?
Follow the Department's current instructions. Some pathways can be lodged online, while others are lodged by post to the area the Department directs. Because the humanitarian program's processes change, always check the current official instructions.
Trying to help someone reach safety in Australia? I act for humanitarian applicants and their Australian families from eight locations nationwide, with care and honesty. Book your $97 10-minute chat — or if you are ready to engage, start at myvisa.com.au/work.